When You’re the Welfare King
Most unfortunately, people calling for the restoration of sanity and normality in the midst of the titanically stupid China Virus FREAK OUT!!! – are in shorter supply than bathroom tissue.
So when anyone arises from the passivity pit sounding the alarm that The Eternal Shutdown is a recipe for national apocalypse – many of us grab for him or her like the last life preserver off of the Titanic.
Elon Musk is the latest such Hero du Jour.
Musk Becomes Champion for Businesses Defying Shutdown Orders:
“Many business owners across the U.S. are cheering for Tesla CEO Elon Musk in his fight to keep his California factory open despite government orders not to.”
Many of us less government types – have not been immune to the smell of the Musk.
Elon Musk’s Shutdown Rant Embraced by Conservatives
Sure – Musk has been exactly right about this all-time foray into human stupidity.
And he’s engendered bile – from many of the right people.
And Musk’s great awakening to the oppressiveness and dumbness of government…appears to be widening beyond just the titanically stupid shutdown.
Elon Musk Says Tesla Will Move Its Headquarters Out of California Amid Fight Over Factory Shutdown
Musk would make the move – for all the right less government reasons.
Elon Musk Could Save Billions in Taxes if Tesla Moves Its Headquarters to Nevada or Texas
ALL of which is less government – and freaking outstanding.
Except:
The company Musk is reopening and looking to move – Tesla Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage – exists entirely and solely due to government cronyism and money.
And Musk is the hugest Welfare King government money recipient – of all time.
Behold this headline from 2015:
Elon Musk’s Growing Empire Is Fueled by $4.9 Billion in Government Subsidies
That’s half a decade ago. That Musk pocket-picking total – is probably a billion or two government dollars higher by now.
And Musk has to be fueled by government money. Because almost all of his companies are predicated upon fake energy – so they can’t fuel or fund anything.
Tesla cars – are electric. And are really expensive – despite the massive government money poured into their creation and sales:
“Subsidies for electric vehicles are widespread, varied, and are funded by federal, state, and city governments.
“They include subsidies for consumer purchases of EVs, subsidies for producers of EVs, subsidies for EV infrastructure, and other various side benefits to EV owners.”
As with most government subsidy stupidities, the whimsies upon which governments waste our money – aren’t even new:
“In the late 1890s, at the dawn of the automobile era, steam, gasoline, and electric cars all competed to become the dominant automotive technology. By the early 1900s, the battle was over, and internal combustion was poised to become the prime mover of the twentieth century.”
Electric vehicles were tried and found wanting – more than a century ago.
Oh – and from where do electric cars get their electricity?
Michael Moore Admits He Had No Idea Where the Juice to Power Electric Cars Came From
It comes from exactly where the rest of us get our electricity. Much of which is generated – by burning coal. Which the Left loathes.
We mention Michael Moore – because he too has recently had a reality revelation.
Even Michael Moore Now Knows: ‘Green Energy’ – Is Neither Green Nor Energy
Michael Moore-Backed ‘Planet of the Humans’ Takes Apart the Left’s Green Energy Scams
“Green energy” – is fake energy. Everything about it – is a lie.
It is atrocious for the environment.
And it is exorbitantly expensive – which is why it requires so much government money and crony policy favoritism.
And Moore’s green-energy-debunking flick reserves special scorn – for Musk.
Because Musk has built most of his empire – upon this giant fake energy lie.
How Elon Musk Plans to Power the Planet with Renewable Energy
Inside Elon Musk’s Newest Plan to Transform Energy and Transportation
Except when your business model is predicated upon lies and government money?
You have to keep feeding us the former – to keep taking from us the latter:
“Musk has successfully branded himself as an environmental savior, despite living a life completely out of sync with any notion of sustainability.
“In 2018, he flew nearly 160,000 miles in his private jet, ‘equal to 77 times all the carbon emissions attributed to the average American and 263 times that of the average human on the planet.’
“He also owns five mansions in the same Bel Air neighborhood — hardly the mark of a person who cares about his environmental footprint.”
Five mansions – just in uber-expensive Bel Air?
Actually, no. It’s six:
Elon Musk(s) Six Bel Air Homes
It’s REALLY good to be the government money king.
But to keep the crown – the lies must keep coming….
Tesla: Lies And Fraud Engulfed In Elon Musk’s Hubris
Elon Musk Knew SolarCity Was Going Broke Before Merger with Tesla, Lawsuit Alleges
Elon Musk’s Dumb Lie About Smart Cars
Is Elon Musk a Green Energy Con Man?:
Ummm…duh:
“‘I know reddit loves Elon Musk to the point of blindness but there are things that need to be addressed.
“‘Hyperloop won’t ever work. SpaceX won’t send a human to Mars by 2024. Full self-driving cars won’t be sold by end this year. AI won’t take over humanity.
“‘Stop believing whatever he says just because he is charismatic. Remember that his main goal is money.’…
“‘He definitely goes where there is government money,’ said Dan Dolev, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research. ‘That’s a great strategy, but the government will cut you off one day.’”
I only wish I could agree with Mr. Dolev – about the government cutting anyone off ever.
It never, ever seems to happen.
And certainly not with Musk.
Welfare King Elon Musk: No One Rewards Failure Like Government
Speaking of SpaceX, many, MANY Musk lies and failures – and perpetual government money….
SpaceX Sets Date for First Flight of Its Crew Dragon Carrying Astronauts:
“May 27, 2020.”
Except….
First SpaceX Mission with Astronauts Set for June 2019:
“The timetable for both launches has already been postponed several times, but NASA said Thursday it would now be providing monthly updates on deadlines.
Except.…
NASA Sets a Date for First SpaceX Crew Capsule Test Flight:
“The spacecraft heads for the International Space Station on January 7th.”
Except.…
SpaceX Postpones First Crew Dragon Flight Until March 2nd:
“Hopefully, the flight pushes through this time….
“The capsule was supposed to blast off on top of a Falcon 9 rocket and head to the ISS for the first time on January 7th, but the partners rescheduled it twice since then.”
Oops…. And oops…. And oops…. And….
But surely Musk’s SpaceX has had success elsewhere. Right? I mean, they’ve been getting government money for YEARS.
Ummm…not so much…. From November 2017:
Elon Musk: The Welfare King’s Latest Failures – and Government Cronyism Cover Ups:
“There is a long history of Musk messing up – and government covering up. To wit – Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX:
“‘In June 2015, SpaceX cost taxpayers $110 million when one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded on a mission to resupply the International Space Station. The company received all but 20 percent of the payment it would have received for completing the mission successfully.
“‘Though two years have since passed, the cause of the rocket’s failure remains unclear.
“‘NASA assured the public that the agency would release a public summary of the results from its investigation by this summer. But just weeks ago, NASA announced that it will no longer to do so.
“‘”NASA is not required to complete a formal final report or public summary since it was an FAA licensed flight,” a spokesman claimed.’”
“Get that? NASA originally promised us a two-year assessment – that should have taken a month.
“And then waits out the two years – and declares they’ll never provide us the assessment.”
So quite obviously – government and Elon Musk deserve each other.
And neither deserves any of our money.
Unfortunately….
This first appeared in Red State.